strengthens the conclusion arrived at by a
further argument, referring to Ka/th/a Up. II, 5, 15--a passage
intermediate between the two passages about the a@ngush/th/amatra--which
speaks of a primary light that cannot mean anything but Brahman. The
Sutra has in that case to be translated as follows: '(The
a@ngush/th/amatra is Brahman) because (in a passage intervening between
the two) a light is seen to be mentioned (which can be Brahman only).'
The three last Sutras of the pada are, according to /S/a@nkara, to be
divided into two adhikara/n/as (XIII and XIV), Sutra 41 deciding that
the ether which reveals names and forms (Ch. Up. VIII, 14) is not the
elemental ether but Brahman; and 42, 43 teaching that the vij/n/anamaya,
'he who consists of knowledge,' of B/ri/. Up. IV, 3, 7 is not the
individual soul but Brahman.--According to Ramanuja the three Sutras
make up one single adhikara/n/a discussing whether the Chandogya
Upanishad passage about the ether refers to Brahman or to the individual
soul in the state of release; the latter of these two alternatives being
suggested by the circumstance that the released soul is the subject of
the passage immediately preceding ('Shaking off all evil as a horse
shakes off his hair,' &c.). Sutra 41 decides that 'the ether (is
Brahman) because the passage designates the nature of something else,'
&c. (i.e. of something other than the individual soul; other because to
the soul the revealing of names and forms cannot be ascribed, &c.)--But,
an objection is raised, does not more than one scriptural passage show
that the released soul and Brahman are identical, and is not therefore
the ether which reveals names and forms the soul as well as
Brahman?--(The two, Sutra 42 replies, are different) 'because in the
states of deep sleep and departing (the highest Self) is designated as
different' (from the soul)--which point is proved by the same scriptural
passages which /S/a@nkara adduces;--and 'because such terms as Lord and
the like' cannot be applied to the individual soul (43). Reference is
made to IV, 4, 14, where all jagadvyapara is said to belong to the Lord
only, not to the soul even when in the state of release.
PADA IV.
The last pada of the first adhyaya is specially directed against the
Sa@nkhyas.
The first adhikara/n/a (1-7) discusses the passage Ka/th/a Up. I, 3, 10;
11, where mention is made of the Great and the Undeveloped--both of them
terms used with a special techn
|